description Roy Calne Overview
Roy Calne was a British surgeon and researcher whose work helped establish clinical organ transplantation. Based at Cambridge, he contributed to liver transplantation in the United Kingdom and investigated drugs that could prevent immune rejection of transplanted organs. His clinical studies of cyclosporine in the late 1970s and early 1980s helped demonstrate that the drug could markedly improve outcomes for recipients of liver, kidney, and other transplants.
insights Ranking position
Roy Calne ranks #16 of 342 in the Surgeon ranking, behind Thomas Starzl, ahead of Ambroise Paré.
help Roy Calne FAQ
What was Roy Calne's role in Britain's first liver transplant?
Calne led the United Kingdom's first liver transplant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in 1968. The early operation showed both the surgical possibility of transplantation and the severe infection risks created by the immunosuppressive drugs then available.
Why is ciclosporin central to Roy Calne's legacy?
Calne helped persuade the Swiss company Sandoz to continue developing the drug and led its early use in transplant patients. Ciclosporin suppressed organ rejection more effectively than previous regimens and transformed kidney and liver transplantation.
How did Roy Calne's work compare with Thomas Starzl's?
Calne built the Cambridge transplant program, while Thomas Starzl led pioneering liver-transplant work in the United States. The two shared the 2012 Lasker Award for developing liver transplantation into a clinical treatment.
What multi-organ transplants did Roy Calne help perform?
With John Wallwork, Calne led a combined liver, heart, and lung transplant in the 1980s. He later participated in complex intestinal and multivisceral transplantation at Cambridge.
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